Editing Help
Be kind. It's okay to dislike or disagree with other users, but please be respectful towards everyone. Even when in a argument or debate, please ensure you don't use name-calling, bigotry, discrimination, or anything similar to try and make someone upset. Act maturely and be kind to others. # Discrimination is not permitted. Any sort of discrimination - such as sexism, homophobia, heterophobia, transphobia, cisphobia, racism, or any other form of bigotry - will absolutely not be tolerated. Keep discriminatory opinions off the Wiki. # Follow the powerusers' requests. They were picked to take care of the wiki, and they have its best interests at heart. You can disagree with them, of course, but if they tell you to stop doing something, please do. # Keep the hate down. Debate and discussion are core components of the wiki, but if things escalate into personal attacks, that's the time to calm down and ask an admin for help resolving the issue. # Make the wiki a better place. Wikis rely on the good of the average human; otherwise they'd be doomed from the start. Uphold that tradition by fixing errors, adding new data, and even just saying "Hi!" to a new user. # Keep things family-friendly. Wings of Fire is targeted towards elementary and middle schoolers. While it's more than okay to use, edit, and talk on the Wiki at any age, do not swear or discuss mature or inappropriate content while using the Wiki or the Wiki Discord server. We want this to be a safe place for everyone, including younger FanWings! # Don't steal art. Please don't post or use art without crediting the artist(s). # Don't pretend to be someone else/not yourself using alternate accounts. This, and any kind of sockpuppetry is against FANDOM's Terms of Use, not just ours. It's okay to have alternate accounts, but using them to break other rules to not get your main account into trouble is not. ## List all your alts on your profile or message wall greeting, preferably with links. To avoid confusion as to whether an alt is an alt, and whose alt it is. Failing to follow this is failing to follow rule 8. # Please don't invite friends to the wiki unless they are interested in Wings of Fire. We don't want our culture overwhelmed with people who don't know or care about Wings of Fire. # Don't reveal identifying personal information, and be safe. Don't upload pictures of yourself or share your real name. Furthermore, please remember this is the internet, and while we don't have rules against sharing your other, less personal information, we'd strongly advise you to know your internet safety and what you're getting into before you do so. Yes, it is possible to encounter very dangerous people here, just like anywhere else. Take caution and please report suspicious matters to moderators. If you're unfamiliar with internet safety, this is a great article on it. Please remember to follow FANDOM's Terms of Use. You should have read them when you created your account, but they are accessible at any other time as well. These are the standard rules to FANDOM, and apply everywhere. If you are under 13, you can't join the wiki. This is a FANDOM decision, not one of ours. Specific Rulesedit Some parts of the wiki have their own rules or guidelines: Chat Rules General: * Vulgar language is not directly allowed in public chat. Language is allowed in a link as long as a warning is given before posting the link. * Our chat moderators are Gjallarhorn the IceWing, ScrollreadertheNightWing, Supreme Leader Justie, Eastern Cloud, Outclaw, Seaweed the Seawing888, and Venemar. Failure to listen to them will get you kicked. * Spam (i.e., repeatedly posting the same or a very similar message) is not permitted, nor is chat flooding (posting huge messages without warning). * Don't add someone to a group PM without their permission as it can be annoying and hard to get rid of. * No religious/racial/sexuality, etc. bashing. * You should treat all users respectfully (unless they are alternate accounts that are being used to get around bans, in which case ignore them and notify an admin or Chat Moderator). * Please keep politics to a minimum. * No begging for CM/Admin rights. † * Inappropriate behavior is not tolerated, nor are perverted or suggestive comments. * If a Moderator asks you to stop something, you should immediately. * You will be given a warning before the first kick, and if the warning is not heeded, you will be chat banned for two hours. If you persist, the chatmod or admin will decide how long to chat ban you for. * If an alternate account is used to get around a ban, both accounts will be blocked for whatever amount of time seems appropriate. † Asking about becoming a poweruser is okay--that's how some of us got our rank, after all. If you're curious about the process, or if you'd be up to standards, feel free to ask any of the powerusers. However, please no continuous begging for poweruser rights. If we decide we don't want to promote you, we're not going to change our mind half an hour later. Moderators: * No banning/kicking without reason. * Matau99, Randomchance13, Nathia Safira, Midnight the NightWing-RainWing, and XUbiquitousx are the final authority. Failure to comply with their wishes/judgement will get you demoted. * Treat every user with equal fairness, regardless of whether you get along or not. Have a problem with the rules? Comment your complaints on one of the admin's walls, and we'll try and take care of it. * RP Guidelines. These are not strict, but if you want your roleplay to be different, please say so in the first post in the thread. Alternate Accountsedit Derived from Thread:1631681 We're aware that "list all your alts on your profile/message wall greeting" may be confusing right now. "What exactly do the admins mean by that?", "If I don't do that instantly, will I be banned?" and "That would totally ruin my aesthetic!" might be some thoughts that come up. * If you could list your alts in a section of your tabber, on the bottom of your page, that would be ideal. It should be easy to locate on your profile. If you have no alts, we'd advise you to say so, but it isn't totally necessary to do so. * Because not everyone will be aware of the rule change instantly, we'll allow not having an alt list to slide until the end of the month of October 2018 (that month is now OVER, so there are no more extensions until further notice). However, pretending to be someone else is still a bannable offence, as it always has been. ** This doesn't mean you shouldn't list your alts immediately ** Inactive alts are still alts and must be listed. * If you see someone who does not have their alts listed, but you know they've got them, please direct them to here (the rules) or Thread:1631681 or just simply let any moderator or admin know. * You may have seen other rule suggestions on the other thread ("maximum five alts" and "maximum two alts online at a time") that you've noticed aren't mentioned in here. Please disregard those, we have decided to not implement them! * Please do not state that you've got an alt on this thread. You saying that you've got an alt on this thread is pointless, it must be listed on your profile/message wall greeting ** You must list the name of your alt. "I have an alt" is pointless to us unless we know what the alt is. Typically failure to list your alternate accounts after a moderator or admin has asked you to list them on your profiles will result in a one week ban, though this is subject to moderator or admin discretion. Please keep this in mind. If you have any questions, just ask one of the admins and we'll respond! Thank you for your time! Chatedit Where can I find commands for emoticons on the chat?'edit You can find commands for the chat emoticons here, and also on the in-chat box at the top-left corner. '''How can I make my text a different color? (/me)'edit Example: '''| ChicoryTheRainWing does something Type in "/me does something" without the quotation marks for your name to appear next to the thing you want to say you're doing. Chat Moderator/Admin/Rollback Relatededit To find out what all these ranks are, read this page. If you want to become one, first read this thread. If we have promotions open, you can make a thread here. If not, you'll have to wait. To find out who has what position, go to the "community" tab at the top bar of your screen. What's a rollback? A rollback is a user who is able to reverse bad edits quickly (vandalism, etc.). What's a moderator? A thread/discussions moderator has special powers on forum threads. They can delete or undelete anyone's posts, close or open threads, make or delete boards, move threads from one board to another, and highlight/unhighlight threads. A content moderator has special powers on wiki pages. They can delete and or move protected pages, delete and move files, undelete pages and files, rollback, reupload files, and protect and unprotect pages. A chat moderator is a user who is able to either kick or ban users from the chat who are not following chat rules. This power is usually (but not always) used on spammers/trolls. Here are some basic guidelines to become a moderator: * You must be very active with editing (if you want to become a chatmod, be active on chat). * Be a mature person who won't misuse their power. * You must have joined three months prior. * Be nice to people. * If you've been banned before, you most likely won't be promoted. * Know the rules and apply them. Miscellaneousedit How old do I have to be to join the wiki?'edit Users must be at least thirteen years old to join Wikia according to the Wikia Terms of Service. Underage users may be banned by Wikia Staff or the Wings of Fire Wiki bureaucrats, admins, or moderators if their true age is discovered. '''How do I change my username?'edit Go to http://community.wikia.com/wiki/Help:Changing_your_username to find out how to change your username. 'Can I make a page?'edit All users have the ability to make a page. However, it's a good idea to ask an admin to get permission before doing so (unless a new book has just been released, in which case, make pages for all the new characters!) Before making a page, ask yourself: "Will the this page just be extra clutter? Can we just add this as a section to another page?" If the answer to one or both of these questions is 'yes', we probably don't need it, but feel free to add it on to the wiki as a section, a blog, a forum thread, or a comment! 'Can I make a category?'edit All users have the ability to make a category. However, like making a page, it's good to have an admin's permission before making a category (again, with the exception of new books having book-specific categories). Before making a category, ask yourself: "Will the wiki benefit from this, or will it just be extra clutter?". A sure way to tell if we won't need it is if 5 or less pages will fit into that category. 'Can I post my fanart here? '''edit All fanart of canon characters is welcomed on the wiki, unless the creator doesn't want it posted. However, a reminder that fanart of OCs (Original Characters) belongs on the Fanon Wiki. Generic art of dragon tribes is allowed on the tribe page. '''Can I post fanfiction here?'edit Fanfiction belongs on the Fanon Wiki, but it's acceptable here on the Fun & Games board. 'Can I roleplay here?'edit Like fanfiction, roleplay generally belongs on the Fanon Wiki, but it is also common here on the Roleplay board, or on chat in private messaging. 'Can I advertise my stuff here?'edit Yes, but please put it on the New on Wings of Fire board. 'How do I make a badge?'edit Follow the instructions here. 'I'm new to fandoms and some of the vocabulary. What do some of these words mean?'edit * Canon - official facts from the book, or approved by the author. * Fanon - fan-made (fanfiction, OCs, etc.) * Headcanon - an idea that is not mentioned by the author themselves, but is canon-compatible and accepted by the fans. * Fandom - a group of fans all obsessed with the same thing * Ship - A pairing of characters as a couple Examples: Glorybringer = Glory x Deathbringer | Ripnami = Riptide x Tsunami | Blistorrow = Blister x Morrowseer * Shipping - liking two characters as a couple * OTP - (One True Pairing) someone's favorite ship * OC - (Original Character) a fan-made character * Mary-Sue - an overpowered character/OC, or a character/OC that is so perfect the challenges they face are easily overcome. Can be used for males or females, but most commonly females. * Gary-Sue - the male-only equivalent of a Mary-Sue The '''Editing Help page is a resource and reference for those who are unsure of what they should do to contribute to the Wings of Fire Wiki. It helps editors to understand the fundamentals of what is necessary for the articles within the Wiki, and allows users new and old gain a better understanding of which articles and sections within articles currently need the most work. Our goal is to provide readers with clear, concise, and factual information regarding the Wings of Fire universe. What to Edit Although users are more than welcome to edit anything they like, there are currently a few common sections within articles that need the most work. Biographies *Many Biography sections are in need of revisions or complete rewrites. *Information within the Biography sections can also be factually or chronologically incorrect. *General grammar is always in need of work in the Biography sections. *A great way to ensure that the Biography sections are factually and chronologically correct is to have the respective book nearby so that you can rely on it for reference. *Do not make Biography sections extremely lengthy. Biographies are intended to be a summary of a character's actions in respective book(s); avoid adding irrelevant or necessary scenes and most dialogue (unless it helps transition one scene to the next). Appearances *Several Appearance sections are currently lacking proper citations. Platypus the SeaWing has created a document containing most character appearances with citations; feel free to use it as a reference while editing. *You can add a citation in Visual Editor mode by selecting the Insert tab and clicking Reference in the drop box. *You can add a citation in Source Editor mode by writing: Ref|insert book initials| insert page number with two curly brackets ( ) on each side. (Example: Ref|TLH|34) **When citing prologues or epilogues, write "p" or "e" respectively in place of the page number. *'DO NOT EVER delete appearance citations unless they are incorrectly cited.' Galleries & Images *Fanart is allowed, but any artwork of non-canonical characters, items, locations, etc. is not to be posted in the Galleries and will be removed. *When posting your own or someone else's artwork, credit the correct artist and provide a link back to the image's original post. You do not have to provide a link to the image's original post if it is artwork that you have created, but you must still credit yourself. When crediting either others or yourself, include their full username. (Example: Qibli Portrait by FishWarrior536 is acceptable; Qibli Portrait by Fish is not). *Images that are irrelevant to the article are not to be posted and will be removed. *Generally inappropriate images including NSFW, explicit dark humor, curse words, mature themes, or attempts to dismiss specific people or groups of people are not only to be removed from Galleries but from the Wiki's image library altogether. Please report any inappropriate images to an administrator or content moderator. *'Do not remove or replace infobox images. ' *Ensure that, when adding images to an article, to place them in their correct galleries. Fanart and fan-made content belong in the Fan Art Gallery, while canonical images belong in the Canon Art gallery. Images will be removed if placed in the wrong Gallery. Quotes *Quotes are to be cited with proper book titles and page numbers. *Do not intentionally change a character's quote while writing. If you wish to shorten a quote, however, please use three period marks (...) with one square bracket ( [ ] ) on either side of them. (Example: "That's why I'm going to take the throne tomorrow '...' I'm doing this for the missing RainWings - and for you, so that you don't have to spend the rest of your lives looking over your shoulders and thinking, Our friends are still lost...and we could have saved them." *Quotes that do not serve any sort of purpose, such as being humorous, conveying character development, or including commentary on something relevant in the character's life, should not be added. (Example: "Look out!" is not an acceptable quote.) Specific Articles *When a new Wings of Fire book is released, there is an immediate need for new articles and expansion on existing ones. Since the newest addition to the series, The Poison Jungle, ''is to be released this July, there will soon be a great demand for new and existing articles to be created and expanded upon. An easy way to locate these articles is though the 'PJ Characters' category. *Even main character articles still sometimes include errors. *Side or supporting character articles are sometimes underdeveloped or contain incorrect information. *If you're unsure of which article you'd like to edit, there is a 'Random Page' feature listed under the 'Explore' tab. How to Edit If you are looking for a general guide on how to edit any article on FANDOM, please refer to placeholder link. Good faith Most importantly, all edits made on the ''Wings of Fire Wiki should be in "good faith," meaning that they are done with intention to improve or expand upon the Wiki. Editors are usually given the benefit of the doubt in good faith, but if users make an edit to an article that is clearly not in good faith, then their edit will be reverted, or, in extreme cases, their edit will be reverted and they will be blocked for a period of time. Article Structure Here is the skeleton of how an article should be structured: 1. Quote 2. Infobox 3. Introduction 4. Appearance 5. Personality 6. Biography 7. Relationships 8. Family tree 9. Quotes 10. Trivia 11. Gallery 12. References 13. Categories Tense *Biography sections should always be written in past tense. *Introduction, Appearance, and Personality sections vary between past or present tense depending on wether the character is alive or deceased. **If the character is alive, the article (excluding the biography) is to be written in present tense. If the character is deceased, the article is to be written in past tense. General Grammar Grammar is very important in articles; it helps establish an understanding between the editors and the readers of an article. Listed below are several solutions to common grammatical errors: *When referring to a Wings of Fire book or simply the umbrella term Wings of Fire, ''titles should always be written in ''italics. (Example: The Posion Jungle). *In character, item, location, tribe, etc. articles, the first mention of the article's title should be written in bold. (Example: Prince Winter is a young male IceWing...) *Names of characters and places should always be capitalized. Items are sometimes capitalized as well. (Example: Darkstalker's Scroll). However, if you are only referring to Darkstalker's Scroll as "the scroll," there is no need to capitalize the word "scroll". *Avoid run-on sentences by adding commas (,) and periods (.) where needed. However, do not add unecessary commas or periods to any sentence. *Avoid conjunctions such as "he's" or "they're"; use "he is" or "they are" instead. Links *Characters should only be linked the first time they are mentioned throughout the article, excluding mentions in the infobox. *Formal titles, such as "Ex-Queen" or "Commander," should always be included in links. *Unecessary punctuation in links is to be avoided. Do not include apostrophes, commas, periods, etc. in the links. (Example: use Queen Coral's instead of Queen Coral's.) The only exception to this rule is when there is an apostrophe within a term to show ownership. (Example: Orca's Statue). *Do not attach two links to a name unless necessary. (Example: the link Prince Winter should be used on both the words "Prince" and "Winter". Do not add the same link separately to both words.) Formal titles * Formal titles include words such as "Queen," "King," "Princess," or "Prince." They can also include non-royal terms such as "General" or "Commander". Objects, such as Darkstalker's Scroll or Orca's Statue, also include the formal title of their owner's name. * Formal titiles, excluding formal titles of objects, should only be used once in each section the first the said character or object is mentioned. '''(Instead of referring to the character Turtle as 'Prince Turtle' throughout an article, refer to him as 'Prince Turtle' once and refer to him only as 'Turtle' until the next section begins.) ' ** In Biographies, a formal title may be used once a new book summary has begun. (Example: the formal title "Prince Turtle" may be used once at the beginning of the summary for ''Escaping Peril and also at the beginning of the summary for Talons of Power.) Article Creation *Any article that does not revolve around the canonical books will be deleted and posted on the creator's Blog or Message Wall. *Do not create articles that are already existent. (Example: do not create an article entitled 'Dragon Queens', as there is already an article entitled 'Dragon Royalty.') *Fan-made characters, items, locations, tribes, fanfictions, etc. are not to be made into articles. They are, however, welcome to be posted on Blogs, Message Walls, and the Roleplay and Fun and Games boards respectively. *When new books are released, it is to be expected that some characters, etc. regarding it will not have articles created for them yet. If this is the case, please feel free to create one. However, less recent books usually do not need new articles for their contents. *Please refer to the Article Structure when creating new articles. Category Creation * In order for a category to be valid, there must be at least five articles included in the category. * Do not create unnecessary or irrelevant categories. (Example: while 'MudWings' is an acceptable category, 'Dragons with Brown Scales' is not.) * Categories regarding fan-made content are not to be added. * Do not create categories that already exist under a different name.